Sailboat Tour Panorama- Ugljan Island 4 hour excursion

SIGHTS, NATURAL WONDERS & ATTRACTIONS

Ugljan Island - The island of Ugljan covers 71km2 and is separated from the coast by the Zadar Canal (2-5 km wide). From Zadar to the island practically every hour there are ferries and passenger ships - it is the busiest ferry line in the entire Adriatic, there is no other island in Croatia with a better connection to the mainland.

Ugljan is called the green gardens of Zadar because many residents of the city have their summer houses, gardens, fields and olive groves here. Olives have been grown in this place at least since the times of the Illyrians and the process of pressing oil is specific (olives are soaked in seawater). In Roman times, there was a large port here, from which oil was transported to various corners of the empire.

In addition to plantations, the island is covered with pine forests and thickets of Mediterranean maquis.

Among the lush vegetation, there are old Croatian churches, monasteries, island stone buildings and holiday villas from ancient times.

The northern parts of the island are inhabited, here are the main, traditional fishing towns, while the southern coast is practically untouched and wild, offering plenty of picturesque bays and hidden beaches with crystal clear water and beautiful views.

Ugljan and the neighbouring islands create ideal conditions for cycling, you can discover here many semi-wild roads in uninhabited areas, where only nature, wonderful views and the blue colour of the sea and cloudless sky await cyclists.

Ugljan is connected to the neighbouring island of Pašman by a bridge under which our ship passes on the way to the Kornati.

Kukljica – a small (7km2), traditional fishing village at the isthmus between the two islands of Ugljan and Pašman.

The centre of Kukljica is located around a large bay, in which there is a fishing port, a yacht marina and part of the beaches of the tourist resort Zelena Punta. Along the coast runs a walking promenade planted with palm trees, flowers and agaves, where there are numerous restaurants and cafes.

Kukljica is a fantastic place for shorter walks on comfortable paved roads and pedestrian paths by the sea (called riva), and for long trips on gravel roads and paths among forests, olive groves and Mediterranean maquis.

The main beach stretches along the peninsula of Zelena Punta, and the two smaller Pod Debra and Gnojšće are at the edges of the central part of the village.

Outside the building area (approx. 1km), on the southern uninhabited coast, there is the most famous and most beautiful local beach - Velika Sabuša (ideal for children) and two wild bays Mala Sabuša and Jelenica. Kukljica also has one sandy beach, on the northern coast – Kostanj.

During the stopover, you will be able to take a swim at Zelena Punta coast. This beach is open to the public, with concrete platforms and partly a pebble beach, the water is shallow at the shore, but quickly gets deep, and the sea bottom is pebble and rocky. In one place, the concrete platform is sprinkled with sand - it is a place prepared for the smallest children. Here there is a slide to the sea. The whole cape is covered with forest, so anyone who has enough sun can relax in the shade. The platforms by the sea are partially shaded. On the beach, there is a beach bar, children's playground, mini-golf, tennis tables, trampoline, and obstacle course on the water. You can rent sun loungers and water equipment such as kayaks, and pedal boats.

Who does not want to swim in the sea can go sightseeing. It is enough to go deeper into the narrow streets to see old stone houses with traditional Dalmatian architecture, the parish church dedicated to the Conversion of St. Paul the Apostle built-in 1666 (on the site of an earlier temple from 1385) or the adjacent old cemetery where the dead were originally buried under a stone floor in the courtyard.

An interesting fact is, preserved to this day (for over 500 years!), the tradition of celebrating the largest local holiday - Our Lady of the Snows, on August 5. It begins with a solemn Holy Mass in the church in the bay of Ždrelaščica (we pass it on the way to the Kornati), to which the faithful arrive by ships (anyone can board), scooters, bicycles or on foot. After the mass, the statue of the Virgin Mary with the child arrives in a great sea procession to Kukljica and is transferred to the church of St. Paul, where it remains for a whole month.

In recent years, the village has become the main gastronomic centre for guests resting on the islands of Ugljan, Pašman and on yachts moored nearby. There are 6 restaurants, 5 cafes, a pastry shop and a beach bar (drinks). You can choose from a full range of dishes from delicious soups, pasta, and pizza from the oven (Terazza and Ciao Ciao restaurant) through handmade ćevapćicie (Ciao Ciao) to traditional meat, fish and seafood dishes in konoba Udica and konoba Stari Mlin.

For sweets lovers, the obligatory address is the Hajduk pastry shop (ice cream, iced coffee, waffles, cakes, Balkan baklava) and a pancakes stand.

An hour's stop in Kukljica is not enough to take advantage of everything that the village offers, but you can always come back here for another holiday...

Kali -  a small village, extending approximately 15 km situated on the southern part of Ugljan island. Kali was first mentioned in a document dating back to 1299 AD, however the archeological findings at Orjak hill prove that it has been inhabited since prehistory. 

Kali fishermen, the most famous fishermen in the world, indeed have a claim to fame. Besides putting bread on their table (and sardines), the fishing craft simply runs in their blood. Since the 19th century, fishing gear can be spotted all over Kali. There isn’t a family in Kali that hasn’t bred a fisherman. Fishing in Kali started developing more intensely in the 19th century. As fish is scarce close to the shore, Kali fishermen had to sail out into Zadar channel and the open sea of the Adriatic to look for it. They specialized in tuna fishing using purse seine nets, and since mid-20th century, they have been using purse seine nets to catch small pelagic (blue) fish. Kali fishermen are also employed all around the Mediterranean Sea, the Atlantic and the Pacific Ocean.

Villagers have been growing olives and producing olive oil for centuries. Olives are also the main crop, habitually cultivated in an eco-friendly way. Kali boasts of one of the largest oil mills on Zadar islands.  

It is not unusual for Croatian towns and villages to have unique dialects, distinct from the closest town, even the village next door. Kali is famous in the Zadar archipelago for its archaic local (chakavian) dialect, locally called ‘kualjski govor’. Instead of standard Croatian ‘more’ (sea), the locals say ‘muore’ (sea), replacing the vowel ‘o’ with a diphthong ‘uo’. Used habitually by both younger and older generations, Kali inhabitants have thus expressed love for their village for over decades.  

Definitely the most popular beach in Kali is Batalaža, situated in a small bay. If you're not into pebbles, there's a paved sunbathing area on the beach, and in the coffee shop Mavra you can cool down with a cold beverage. Batalaža has it all, so there are deck chairs and parasols provided for the visitors. Since it's a bay, the water is almost always calm and warm. You can also take a walk by the seaside. In the vicinity of the beach there are several restaurants offering delicious fish specialties.